A representative carrier in the Russian regional market, RusLine started with charters in 1997 and in 2007 became the first Russian airline to operate Bombardier CRJ100/200 regional jets. The fifty-seat regional jets bypass Moscow and fly directly between cities in European Russia and the Urals.
RusLine (Russian brand РусЛайн, legal entity RUSLINE Airlines JSC) is a leading Russian regional airline. It was founded in 1997 as a charter operator and moved to a mix of scheduled and charter flying after obtaining its air operator certificate in 2003. Its IATA code is 7R and its ICAO code is RLU. The operating base is Moscow Domodedovo, with permanent capacity also stationed at regional airports in Voronezh and Yekaterinburg Koltsovo.
In its early years the airline flew Soviet types including the Yak-40, Yak-42 and Tu-134, and standardised on Bombardier regional jets after re-fleeting in 2007. In 2012 it briefly introduced Airbus A319s on medium and long sectors before returning to a regional-jet focus. In the 2010s it opened routes to European cities including Leipzig, Riga, Bergen and Tallinn, then withdrew to a domestic network after the geopolitical changes of 2022.
The positioning is clear: connect smaller Russian cities directly with fifty-seat regional jets and bypass the transfer pressure at Moscow and St Petersburg. The network published for the winter 2026 season covers about twenty-one directions and more than thirty-five cities, concentrated in European Russia, the Urals and western Siberia, and extending to Sukhum in the direction of the diplomatically recognised Republic of Abkhazia. The airline has repeatedly won the best regional carrier award at the Russian national aviation prize Wings of Russia.
For Chinese shippers the value lies in the capillary network of the destination country's domestic leg. Cargo entering Russia through Moscow often still has to reach smaller industrial and commercial cities such as Voronezh, Perm, Kotlas and Naryan-Mar, many of which major airlines do not serve nonstop. The RusLine regional network fills that gap.
Since the 2010s the airline has worked with Yekaterinburg Koltsovo Airport on a regional route pilot, with a clear strategy: bypass Moscow and St Petersburg and fly cities directly to each other. That approach makes sense in a country as large as Russia with so many smaller cities, and it has kept RusLine in the domestic regional market for the long term. The airline has won regional route awards at Voronezh and Domodedovo and its on-time performance ranks near the top among regional carriers.
Country: Russia
Founded: 1997
Operating base: Moscow Domodedovo
Regional bases: Voronezh / Yekaterinburg
IATA code: 7R
ICAO code: RLU
Main type: CRJ100 / CRJ200
Official website: rusline.aero
Commercial email: info@rusline.aero
Like most Russian carriers, RusLine is affected by the EU airspace ban and the air safety list, and its European routes have been withdrawn entirely. The network now covers Russia and adjacent CIS destinations. It does not fly to China and operates no scheduled passenger or cargo service between China and Russia, so Chinese cargo connects through Moscow Domodedovo.
Annual passengers passed 200,000 in 2025. The airline continues to add frequencies in the Khanty-Mansi direction, including Beloyarsky to Moscow, and the regional network is still expanding slowly.
The fleet is fifty-seat regional jets with about 6.48 cubic metres of belly space, suited to mail, small express parcels, business urgent shipments and light, high-value regional cargo.
For shipments from a few kilograms to a few hundred kilograms bound for smaller Russian cities, the RusLine regional belly is a faster option than trucking from Moscow.
| Item | CRJ100 ER / LR | CRJ200 ER / LR |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 50 seats | 50 seats |
| Maximum payload | About 4,540 kg | About 6,120 kg |
| Cruise speed | About 790 km per hour | About 790 km per hour |
| Maximum range | ER about 3,000 km / LR about 3,710 km | ER about 3,045 km / LR about 3,713 km |
| Belly hold volume | About 6.48 cubic meters | About 6.48 cubic meters |
| Engines | General Electric CF34-3A1 | General Electric CF34-3B1 |
The entire fleet consists of CRJ100 and CRJ200 regional jets, about ten to eleven aircraft. A fifty-seat narrowbody regional jet has limited belly space and suits mail, documents, business samples and light, low-density parcels rather than heavy bulk cargo. Ground turnaround can be as short as twenty minutes, daily utilisation is high and short regional sectors connect flexibly.
Historically, the CRJ100/200 is a regional jet introduced by Canada's Bombardier in the 1990s, known for its fifty-seat cabin, low fuel burn and short-runway capability. RusLine became the first Russian carrier to operate the type in 2007 and gradually standardised on it, cutting maintenance and training costs. Wholly owned subsidiary RusLine Technics handles routine maintenance, and ground handling at year-round stations is contracted directly with the airports. For Chinese shippers this means on-time performance and ground connections on the regional legs are backed by the airline's own organisation.
The economics of a fifty-seat regional jet show up on thin routes: where a regional route can only fill a few dozen passengers a day, a narrowbody mainline aircraft loses money, while a fifty-seat jet can hold the schedule and the frequency. That choice lets RusLine keep operating marginal routes between smaller Russian cities that other airlines will not cover, and it gives Chinese cargo a last-leg option that mainline carriers would never deploy.
RusLine publishes no China-origin routes and no office of its own in China. Its network is entirely within Russia and towards Abkhazia, and it operates no scheduled passenger or cargo flights between China and Russia. To reach a smaller city on the RusLine network, cargo moves in two segments: the first from China to Moscow Domodedovo on a Chinese or other Russian carrier, and the second on a RusLine regional flight from Domodedovo to Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Kotlas, Naryan-Mar or another destination.
Domodedovo is RusLine's main operating base, with the highest frequency of regional departures and the widest choice of connections for transit cargo. When choosing the international carrier, pick a flight that also lands at Domodedovo to keep the airport switch cost of the two-segment routing to a minimum. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited designs routings around same-airport connections to avoid the time and cost of cross-airport transfers.
This structure is sensitive to volume and weight. The CRJ belly holds about 6.48 cubic metres, heavy single pieces must be declared within payload limits, and cargo beyond regional-jet limits should stay in Moscow for truck delivery. Typical suitable cargo includes business urgent shipments in China-Russia trade, documents and samples, small e-commerce parcels, light high-value accessories and regional restocking. When handling such shipments we assess whether the RusLine regional leg fits, or whether trucking from Moscow is better, and choose between transit time and cost.
In trade terms, imports into smaller cities in European Russia are mainly consumer goods, light electromechanical parts, telecom components and office supplies, usually in small lots with tight timing. Relying on trucks alone, the drive from Moscow to Voronezh or Perm often takes one to two days; with a RusLine regional flight the air leg drops to one or two hours and overall last-mile timing improves noticeably. For Chinese exporters with a steady distribution network in regional Russia, building RusLine regional legs into the annual logistics plan raises the reliability of last-mile delivery.
RusLine adjusts its route mix between the winter and summer seasons, and some seasonal points are added or dropped at the changeover. When planning a full year, confirm separately for each season whether the destination is served, and check the latest timetable with your forwarder before the switch so production is not planned against an outdated schedule or wrong assumptions about available space.
Note that RusLine holds code-share and interline agreements with regional carriers such as UTair and Yamal Airlines, so Chinese cargo can reach more small cities through the Russian domestic interline network even where RusLine does not fly nonstop. That cooperation adds flexibility, and Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited picks the best regional carrier for each final destination.
The network bypasses the two main hubs and links regional cities directly, so cargo does not wait for a second mainline connection after landing in Moscow and can move straight onto a regional departure.
CRJ ground turnaround can be as short as twenty minutes and frequencies are dense, so same-day connections for regional urgent shipments are likely, which suits time-sensitive business cargo.
Charter requests can be answered within hours, which suits crew rotations, sports teams and one-off shipments with flexible timing.
The airline publicly accepts mail and small shipments, and its belly product handles light, low-density parcels routinely, which fits e-commerce packet traffic.
Shippers cannot book RusLine as the first carrier. The standard process is: the shipper gives Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited the cargo details and the final destination in regional Russia; we book the China to Moscow Domodedovo leg and request the Domodedovo to destination regional leg from RusLine or its sales agent; once both segments are confirmed we issue a through routing; the cargo clears export in China, transfers documents and clears Russian import in Moscow, then connects to the RusLine regional flight.
Export documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, customs power of attorney and shipper's letter of instruction. Because regional belly space is limited, pieces, weight and dimensions must be checked carefully at booking, and cargo beyond belly limits should switch to trucking from Moscow. Charter cargo must be declared in advance so operations control can plan the route within aircraft capability. Schedules change with season and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.
On timing, submit the request five to seven days before the planned ship date so both the international and the regional leg can be secured together. Regional frequencies are lower than mainline frequencies, so peak-season bookings can tighten and early locking matters. After arrival in Moscow, document transfer and secondary screening must be completed the same day to catch the next regional departure. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited has built labelling standards and cargo manifests for regional transit over years of China-Russia work, which reduces misrouting and dwell time.
On cost, a two-segment routing is made up of the international mainline freight, the Moscow transit handling fee and the regional leg freight, with destination clearance billed separately at local Russian rates. Ask your forwarder to itemise all three when quoting so later charges are not vague. For regular shippers we can negotiate a framework rate with the carrier to lock peak-season space and unit prices.
Beyond scheduled belly cargo, RusLine publicly accepts passenger and cargo charters and mail transport. Charters serve crew rotations, sports teams, arts companies, government delegations and special cargo, with cabin layout and aircraft livery customised to the client. The airline states that charter requests can be answered within five hours, and direct contracts with airports at year-round stations make permit applications and ground agent coordination efficient.
The regional jet's characteristics limit special cargo to small and medium sizes: live animals, sports equipment and light outsize items are assessed case by case. A wholly owned maintenance subsidiary supports the CRJ fleet, and availability is steady by regional airline standards. For Chinese exporters whose destination is a smaller Russian city and whose shipment fits regional belly space, the RusLine network is an air option beyond trucking from Moscow.
Charter products include one-way, return, hourly wet lease and series charters to suit different budgets. Quotes cover aircraft, crew, fuel and ground handling, with cabin catering, livery and airport lounge services added as required. For Chinese companies that need to move engineers, equipment samples or a promotion team to a regional Russian city in one go, a charter is a time-controllable option. Runway conditions and slot windows at both airports must be confirmed in advance.
Historically, charter clients have included government delegations, sports teams, arts companies, journalists and educational groups, and the operations team has built experience across different requirements. For Chinese exporters, when a trade fair, investment event or project launch in a regional city needs people and exhibits moved together, charters complement regular belly cargo: people and hand-carried exhibits fly charter, bulk cargo moves belly interline, and the overall plan is more flexible.
RusLine publishes no China-origin routes. Its network is domestic Russian, so cargo must first reach Moscow Domodedovo and then connect to a regional flight to the final smaller city. Book the two segments separately and allow about half a day for the connection to complete document transfer and secondary screening.
A fifty-seat CRJ has about 6.48 cubic metres of belly space, suited to mail, business urgent shipments, documents and samples, e-commerce packets and light high-value accessories. Bulk heavy cargo and outsize items do not suit the regional belly and should switch to trucking in Moscow. Pieces above the regional jet's payload limit must be declared at booking and re-routed.
The network published for the winter season covers about twenty-one directions and more than thirty-five cities, including Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Kotlas, Naryan-Mar, Perm, Yaroslavl, Kirov, Salekhard, Nizhnevartovsk and Khanty-Mansiysk. Confirm points against the carrier's published season timetable; schedules change with season.
The airline publicly accepts charters and mail transport, answers charter requests within hours, and customises route and cabin layout. Charter forms include one-way, return, hourly wet lease and series charters; outsize and special cargo must be assessed case by case for aircraft compatibility.
RusLine publishes no office of its own in China. Its commercial email is info@rusline.aero and its website is rusline.aero. Chinese shippers can book through an authorised sales agent or IATA agent, or ask Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited to coordinate interline space and documents.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) coordinates China to Moscow capacity and onward RusLine regional connections, handling interline bookings for business urgent shipments, mail and light high-value cargo, with booking, customs and transit coordination end to end.
Official website https://goodhope86.com